YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand under diagnostic code 5126, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides two evaluation levels for it: 70% and 60%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand
This code covers amputation of all five digits of one hand. It pays 70 percent for the dominant (major) hand and 60 percent for the non-dominant (minor) hand - the two figures are the two hands, not two amputation levels.
DC 5126's criterion row is "Five digits of one hand, amputation of", rated 70 percent in the major column and 60 percent in the minor column. Two notes that follow the multiple finger amputations table set the table's scope. Note (a): "The ratings for multiple finger amputations apply to amputations at the proximal interphalangeal joints or through proximal phalanges." Note (d): "Amputation or resection of metacarpal bones (more than one-half the bone lost) in multiple fingers injuries will require a rating of 10 percent added to (not combined with) the ratings, multiple finger amputations, subject to the amputation rule applied to the forearm." Note (d) adds to this rating rather than creating a higher tier of its own. Notes (b) and (c) send amputations through the middle phalanges and at or through the distal phalanges to the finger-ankylosis criteria instead of this table.
- Diagnostic code
- 5126
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 70% and 60%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand VA rating criteria (DC 5126)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim2 tips
- 01
Ask for the operative report to state the level of every digit amputated, since that is what decides whether this table applies at all.
- 02
If more than half of a metacarpal bone was also lost, raise note (d) explicitly: it adds 10 percent to this rating rather than being combined with it.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Records that do not state the level of each amputation - notes (b) and (c) route amputations through the middle or distal phalanges to the finger-ankylosis criteria instead of this table.
- 02
No statement of which hand is dominant, which is the only difference between the 70 and 60 percent columns.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Failing to distinguish the major (dominant) hand from the minor (non-dominant) hand.
- 02
Not raising note (d)'s additional 10 percent when metacarpal bone was lost as well.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
This type of amputation commonly results from a combat injury or an industrial accident.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Very High if amputation is documented.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~450 veterans
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand
Is Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand under VASRD diagnostic code 5126 (Musculoskeletal System). This code covers amputation of all five digits of one hand. It pays 70 percent for the dominant (major) hand and 60 percent for the non-dominant (minor) hand - the two figures are the two hands, not two amputation levels.
What VA disability rating can I get for Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand?
Possible VA ratings for Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand are 70%, 60%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 70%: Five digits of one hand, amputation of - dominant (major) hand; 60%: Five digits of one hand, amputation of - non-dominant (minor) hand.
What evidence helps prove Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand claim includes: Operative reports stating the level at which each digit was amputated; Imaging or a surgical description showing how much of any metacarpal bone was lost; Hand-therapy or occupational-therapy notes describing what the hand can still do.
Which DBQ is used for Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand?
VA's Amputations Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand?
Common pitfalls when filing for Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand: Failing to distinguish the major (dominant) hand from the minor (non-dominant) hand; Not raising note (d)'s additional 10 percent when metacarpal bone was lost as well.
What conditions can be secondary to Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Amputation of All Five Digits of One Hand, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5126)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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